If during your upcoming vacation you want to see something so beautiful that it will take your breath away, then we offer our list of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

Iguazu Falls , located on the border of Brazil and Argentina, is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. It has 275 cascades and stretches for two miles along the Iguazu River. This waterfall was formed as a result of a strong volcanic eruption, as a result of which a huge crack formed in the earth's crust. It is simply impossible to describe the beauty and grandeur of this waterfall, as well as the beauty of the untouched tropical nature around. included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Getting to the waterfall is quite easy, it is well developed here. tourism infrastructure, there are many viewing platforms from which all the charm of Iguazu is best seen. In addition to contemplating waterfalls, here you can also visit the Argentinean and Brazilian national natural parks with real untouched jungle.

Angel Falls, Venezuela. This is the most high waterfall in the world, its height reaches 978 meters. A waterfall falls from Mount Tepui, which in translation into Russian means "mountain of the devil." The height of the fall of the waterfall is so great that the water, not having time to reach the bottom of the waterfall, is sprayed into tiny particles, forming a fog that is felt for many kilometers. Tourist trails there is no waterfall, you can only get there by air or by river, so tourists are offered organized excursions.

Victoria Falls. The waterfall is located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. This waterfall is the main attraction South Africa. Victoria Falls is very impressive for tourists, because its width is more than 1700 meters, and water falls from a height of about one hundred meters. The sight is very beautiful and memorable. During the rainy season, about 10,000 cubic meters of water passes through the waterfall every second. Immediately after the waterfall, a section of the river begins with fairly safe rapids, which attract lovers of rafting on mountain rivers, and in this place novice tourists can successfully raft.

Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland. In Icelandic, the name of the waterfall means "golden waterfall". Indeed, the water of this waterfall looks golden, and a rainbow almost always hangs over the waterfall. And in winter, the waterfall is covered with an ice shell, which is also very beautiful. This waterfall is interesting because it has two levels. At first, the water falls from a height of 11 meters, then it flows calmly, and suddenly, it falls again from a height of 21 meters. Near the waterfall there are many viewing platforms that are never empty.

Waterfall Jog - the most interesting and highest waterfall in India. This waterfall has the highest free fall height, that is, the water of the Jog Falls does not roll over the stones, but falls freely into the reservoir from a height of 253 meters. The waterfall consists of four branches, each of which has its own name. They are Raja, Rocket, Rumbler and Rani. The name corresponds to the sound that water makes when it falls. The Raja falls down with dignity, the Rocket has the largest filling of water, which passes at high speed through a small hole, the name Rumbler speaks for itself, and the Rani has a sinuous trajectory reminiscent of a woman's dance (Rani means queen or woman in translation). Any tourist can personally verify the correspondence of these names to reality.

Located on the border of the USA and Canada and is one of the most beautiful waterfalls on Earth. Downstream there is a bridge between the two countries, open to both vehicles and pedestrians. In fact, there are three waterfalls behind the name, which are perceived as a single whole - Horseshoe, American Falls and Veil. In addition to aesthetic pleasure, the waterfall is actively used by power engineers to generate electricity. An excellent infrastructure has been created for tourists near the waterfall, viewing platforms for the contemplation of Niagara, and in the evening a stunning illumination lights up, created by dozens of multi-colored searchlights with a total capacity of one and a half million kilowatts. Crowds of tourists admire this amazing sight for hours.

Waterfall Detyan located on the border of China and Vietnam. It is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the world. The most beautiful sight becomes from May to September, when the water level in Detyan is the highest. The height of the waterfall is 75 meters and the width is about 200 meters. Sadly, every year there is less and less water in the waterfall. Therefore, every person who comes to these places must definitely see Detyan.

Residents of the European part of Russia treat waterfalls as an incredible exotic, because most of the western part of Russia is covered by a plain, but our country is infinitely diverse, therefore we offer the reader a rating 10 most beautiful waterfalls according to the editors of the site "Tourism in Russia". The most beautiful waterfalls in Russia are mainly located, of course, among mountain systems our country: caucasian, Ural mountains, Altai, Sayans, mountain range Putorana Plateau. The waterfalls of Russia are unique in their beauty and originality. Most of them are accessible to tourists, so some of them are probably familiar to you. Recently, ecotourism has been gaining momentum in Russia, because the waterfalls of Russia have become even closer to ordinary travelers than before.

Waterfall Kivach in the Republic of Karelia

Kivach is perhaps the most famous waterfall in Western Russia. It is located in the European part of our country near the capital of the Republic of Karelia - the city of Petrozavodsk. The name of the waterfall comes from the Finnish kiivas, which can be translated into Russian as “powerful” or “swift”. Kivach is the second largest, after the Rhine, flat waterfall in Europe. The waterfall is located in the waters of the Suna River. The height of the total fall of the waterfall is just over 10 meters.

It became a landmark in the 18th century, when the region was rapidly developing. The ruler of the Olonets region (under Catherine II, this was the name of the Karelian land around Petrozavodsk) and the great Russian poet Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin, having been here, wrote the poem “Waterfall”:

“A diamond is pouring down a mountain
From the heights of the four rocks,
Pearls abyss and silver
Boils at the bottom, beats up with mounds;
From the splashes the blue hill stands,
Far away the roar in the forest rumbles ”

Waterfall Kivach. Republic of Karelia

The Karelian legend about the origin of the waterfall tells the story of two sister rivers, the Suna and the Shuya, who did not want to part with each other and flowed side by side all the time. One day, tired Suna gave her sister a more comfortable bed and lay down to rest. Waking up, she was surprised to find that Shuya had gone far, far ahead, and rushed to catch up with her, sweeping away everything in her path. Where Suna broke through the rocks and crushed the stone blocks, a waterfall arose.

Altai. Waterfall Uchar - Chulchinsky

Uchar waterfall (or Big Chulchinsky waterfall) of the Republic of Altai

Republic of Altai - famous southern edge Russia with picturesque rivers and waterfalls. Ecologically clean, untouched edge of nature, sometimes difficult to access, as in the version of the Big Chulchinsky waterfall. The name Ulchar is translated from the South Altai as "impregnable" or "flying". This is a cascading waterfall on the Chulcha River. The height of the water fall is 160 meters. The waterfall is located on the territory of the Altai state reserve. To get to the waterfall, you need to cross to the right bank of the Chulyshman River in the area of ​​​​the mouth of the Chulcha River and go upstream for 8 km along a rather difficult path that goes along the steep and steep Chulchinsky Gorge. The waterfall was supposedly formed less than two hundred years ago as a result of a grandiose collapse caused by another Altai earthquake, it was discovered only in the seventies of the last century, and it is a tourist attraction less than ten to twenty years ago.

Cascade of waterfalls in the canyon of the Kanda River on the Putorana Plateau

Virtually unknown modern man(to researchers and tourists) the Putorana Plateau is located three thousand kilometers from Moscow. The nearest airport is Norilsk. From the airport you need another 40 minutes to fly by helicopter. In terms of area, the Putorana Plateau is comparable to the territory of Great Britain. Putorana from the Evenki language is translated as “ lakes with steep banks. Lakes on the plateau - 9 520 , the longest - up to 150 km, the deepest - up to 400 meters, the number waterfalls unknown, but estimated at 20,000.

In 2010, the plateau area was included in the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites. highest waterfall on the territory of Russia is located here, on the river Konda. Its height is 108 meters with a direct fall of water. There are also cascading waterfalls, even higher than that on the Konda River. The height of the cascading waterfalls reaches 400 meters.

Since the plateau is located in northern latitudes climatic conditions very harsh. Summer is short. The usual winter temperature is -40 degrees Celsius. In this regard, the waterfalls freeze, sometimes they do not freeze completely. In this part of the article published works of photographer Sergey Gorshkov, who spent three years shooting on the territory of the plateau.

Waterfall Ilya Muromets on the Kuril Islands

Ilya Muromets - waterfall on the island of Iturup ( largest island Kuril ridge Sakhalin region). The Japanese name of the waterfall sounds like Rakkibetsu (translated as “falling river”). One of the highest waterfalls in the country. It is located near Cape Ilya Muromets, on a stream flowing down from the northeastern slope of Mount Demon, falling off a steep cliff into the ocean.

The waterfall and the cape of the same name are named after the Russian hero, one of the heroes of the epic epic Ilya Muromets. On the island of Iturup, the high cape Alyosha Popovich and the volcano Dobrynya Nikitich (as well as the cape) are also adjacent to Ilya Muromets.

It is precisely in terms of the height of free fall of water of 141 meters, that is, not interrupted by ledges, that Ilya Muromets occupies one of the leading places in our country and exceeds the famous Niagara Falls V North America three times. The waterfall is located in an extremely inaccessible place, its free inspection is possible only from the ocean.

Kinzelyuk waterfall in Krasnoyarsk Territory

Kinzelyuk waterfall is a famous treasure of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is considered the highest waterfall in Russia. Its height is about 328 meters, and the height of free fall is 90 meters! The waterfall is located in the Eastern Sayans, their Kinzelyuk ridge, which has always been considered inaccessible to people. To get to it from Krasnoyarsk, you need to fly by helicopter in a southeast direction for 500 kilometers.

Kinzelyuk waterfall. Krasnoyarsk region. Sayans

The waterfall is formed by the picturesque Kinzelyuk Lake, which resembles a bowl in the bosom of a mountain. The lake is located at an altitude of 1601 meters in the circus of the Kinzelyuk (Two-headed) peak. For the first time, instrumental measurements of the waterfall (with the help of a theodolite) on the initiative and support of the writer and local historian Pyotr Kravchuk were made in 1989 by the expedition of the water-sports tourist section of the Stal sports club at the Dnepropetrovsk Metallurgical Plant under the leadership of Boris Babitsky, Master of Sports of the USSR. According to their measurements, the height of the waterfall (cascade) is 328 meters. The measurement result is recorded in the book of Peter Kravchuk "Records of Nature".

Bezymyanny waterfall near Greater Sochi

The nameless waterfall is located in Krasnodar Territory, on the slope of Mount Aibga in the waters of the Bezymyanka River. This is one of the highest waterfalls Krasnodar Territory, since the height of its three steps reaches 75 meters. The waterfall is located almost on the border between Russia and Abkhazia, but on the Russian side. You can get to the Bezymyanny only by cross-country vehicles - UAZs. Sochi people usually call them "jeeps". You can buy tickets for jeeping to the waterfall at the points of many excursion companies. The Bezymyanka River hurries on after the waterfall, runs between the stones and after a few kilometers merges with the Psou River, which flows along the Russian-Abkhazian border and flows into the Black Sea. Near the Nameless there is a very small waterfall Maiden's Tears. Although it is small, it is very beautiful and unusual in shape.

Waterfall in Zeygalan North Ossetia

Waterfall Zeygalan on the river Midagrabindon in North Ossetia

The Zeygalan waterfall is located in North Ossetia on the Midagrabindon River. Near it passes the borders of our country, bordering on the state of Georgia. Since the height of Zeygalan is about 600 meters, it is considered one of the highest waterfalls in Russia and the world. Highway there is no waterfall, because walking route, wade through the rivers, tourists come here for several hours.

The unique beauty the waterfall is located high in the mountains and therefore has a pulsating character. Its jet depends on the air temperature, it either increases or decreases. In the cold season, the melting of the glacier at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, the source of which gives rise to the waterfall, practically stops and only ice icicles remain in the place of the waterfall. Above this amazing place clouds usually gather even when the valley is warm and sunny. In such majestic beauty, Zeygalan flows along the slopes of an extinct ancient volcano.

Waterfall Unexpected in Primorsky Krai

Waterfall Unexpected in Primorsky Krai

The Unexpected Waterfall is original in that it passes through the hexagonal basalt pillars that form its descent. The height of the Unexpected is 9 meters, it was formed as a result of the fall of the waters of the Left Gorbatov spring from the Shkotovsky plateau. Unexpected consists of 2 cascades. Only 9 meters high, it appears unexpectedly on the way almost in the middle of the forest.

The path to the waterfall goes along the highway Vladivostok - Partizansk. From Vladivostok to Unexpected about 110 km, you can go to it through the city of Artem and the village of Shkotovo. A hundred meters below the waterfall, on the right bank of the stream, there is a vertical wall made of hexagonal basalt pillars (the result of its crystallization during cooling).

The waterfall named after the great poet is located in the vicinity of the resort city of Kislovodsk, which makes it one of the most accessible waterfalls from our selection of the most beautiful in Russia. On the outskirts Kislovodsk small Olkhovka river. It is here that the Lermontovsky waterfall is located, its height is about 3 meters. According to legend, it is this waterfall that Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov describes in the story “Princess Mary” as the place where Pechorin fed his horse after a walk to the Ring Mountain. The river stream here rushes down from the flat ground and breaks with thousands of splashes on the rocks below.

Lermontov waterfall in Kislovodsk on an old postcard

Lermontovsky waterfall appeared at the intersection of the Lower Cretaceous limestone layer by the river. You can admire the Lermontov waterfall from above, from a rocky platform, or go down, coming close to the sparkling stream of water. There are domed caves in the rocks next to the waterfall. Not far from the waterfall is the sanatorium "Rodnik", famous among vacationers and tourists. You can get to Lermontovsky waterfall from the city center if you walk along Prudnaya street or use the city bus.

Waterfalls in the Pshada river valley near Gelendzhik

The mountain river Pshada carries its waters in the Caucasus Mountains near the Black Sea. There are more than a hundred waterfalls on the Pshada River. Tourists vacationing on the Black Sea are often invited to visit the Pshad waterfalls. In addition to the amazing nature and the Pshad waterfalls, it is impossible not to mention that this valley hosts a large number of mysterious dolmens, the purpose of which is disputed by historians and ethnographers.

The highest water cascade usually shown to tourists is Olyapkin. Its height is 9 meters, the second highest waterfall passes in the Waterfall Creek - it is about 7 meters. Most of the waterfalls, having a height of about 15-30 meters, are difficult to access. ordinary tourists because they are in impassable places.

Capturing the water element is not an easy task for a photographer: the camera does not like moisture, and you have to experiment with exposure settings at slow shutter speeds. We have prepared for you ten waterfalls that will take your breath away - accept the challenge.

Yosemite, USA

Spring and early summer are the best times to see the cascades of Yosemite Falls in all their glory. Of its three segments, pouring tons of water from terrace to terrace, the most impressive is the top one. The 435-meter powerful but graceful jet is easy to observe from the side - there are many suitable paths and viewing points on the territory of Yosemite Park. The lower part is also perfectly visible, but photo hunting for the middle part should be left to professional climbers: travelers who have fallen into a trap of wet sharp stones often have to be rescued by helicopter.

Niagara Falls, Canada/USA

The Canadian "Horseshoe" and the American Falls or "Veil", together forming the Niagara Falls, are far from the highest on the planet, even the short ones: only 53 meters, and only 21 are visible, and the rest is blocked by heaps of stones. But they are capable of dumping up to 6 thousand cubic meters of water per second. Fortunately, those days are gone when you could only look at this bewitching sight through a hole in the fence. Now visitors have a lot of viewing angles.

Dettifoss, Iceland

The "land of ice" with the spring-summer rise in temperature turns into a land of waterfalls. The ice melts, creating turbulent streams of water. Most of them find obstacles and jump off them in waterfalls. Dettifoss in national park Jökulsárgljúfur is the most powerful in Europe. Not so long ago you could see him in the cinema - in the film "Prometheus" by Ridley Scott.

Iguazu, Argentina/Brazil

270 Iguazu Falls are distributed between the two countries: on the Argentine side there are almost 80% of them, but on the Brazilian side they are more picturesque. Less well-worn angles can be obtained during a boat trip or rafting adventure. The hit of the complex is the Devil's Throat waterfall (Garganta del Diablo) in the shape of the letter U. Iguazu is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world: it drops about 100 million tons of water per hour.

Stirling, New Zealand

Even Kipling himself called the Milford Sound fjord the eighth wonder of the world, and most of those who have been here agree with him: wild nature, the purest waters of the bay and sparkling waterfalls. Stirling is best viewed from a small cruise ship. He, like his beautiful sister waterfall Lady Bowen, does not dry out all year round, fed by the melt water of glaciers. The greatest effect is achieved in the spring, during the melting of snow, and after heavy rains, when hundreds of streams of water jump over the cliffs.

Kaieteur, Guyana

Although Kaieteur is located in a national park near the border with Venezuela, it is still one of the most inaccessible known waterfalls in the world. Not many spectators get to this place, where, surrounded by wet thickets of tropical plants, the Potara River rushes down. The 226 meters high waterfall is five times higher than Niagara and twice as high as African Victoria.

Waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park - natural heritage UNESCO. 16 transparent turquoise lakes are interconnected by almost a hundred channels and waterfalls, forming picturesque cascades among dense forests. The most famous is the handsome Sastavci, the fruit of the union of two rivers, the Korana and Plitvica, rushing down from a height of 72 m. According to the information posted on the signs, it will take eight hours to get around all this splendor along the paths. Do not be fooled: time for thoughtful photography is not included here, so it is better to lay two sunny days for a close acquaintance with Croatian waterfalls.

Maletsunyane, Lesotho

Lesotho is a small enclave within South Africa. The Maletsunyane River, speeding through green pastures, is thrown off a cliff by a 192-meter waterfall, one of the highest on the continent. At the beginning of summer, below, where the rays of the sun do not fall, you can catch ice - in winter, the waterfall is overgrown with icicles. Many good angles open up from the surrounding rocks.

Angel, Venezuela

The main treasure of the Canaima National Park is the highest waterfall in the world, Angel. It falls from the top of the majestic table mountain Auyan-Tepui. The water tries to fly 807 meters (the total height of the waterfall is even higher, about a kilometer), but most of it is sprayed, turning into fog. You can get here only by boats and canoes or by small planes - the area is wild, not yet spoiled by civilization. They don't call it "The Lost World" for nothing.

Victoria, Zambia/Zimbabwe

During the rainy season, the streams flowing down to 1800 meters wide, creating the most extensive water curtain in the world. A suspension of particles from the crashing Zambeze River is visible from a distance of 40 kilometers. It is worth spending money on an aerial view to fully appreciate the greatness of the falls. The Zambians never adopted an official name after Queen Victoria and continue to call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - the smoke that thunders.

Any waterfall is a spectacular sight in itself, but there are such instances in the world that you can admire for hours ... It is from these waterfalls that our today's selection consists =)

We note right away that this article simply contains the most beautiful waterfalls in the world according to LifeGlobe, without any top list, because looking at all the variety of amazing waterfalls on our planet, one or another cannot be unambiguously called the most beautiful, most picturesque, etc. - they are all amazing in their own way and each is unique in its own way

First on our list is Kilt Falls. This is undoubtedly the most amazing and picturesque waterfall in Scotland! The waters of the Kilt fall from the cliffs of the Scottish Isle of Skye right into Atlantic Ocean

The Brazilian waterfall Cascata Do Caracol in the town of Canela is not famous in itself, but it is very beautiful, and, in principle, not so small - its height is 131 meters ...

Of course, I couldn’t help but get into this list) I think it’s safe to call it the most famous of the existing waterfalls

Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America and one of the top recreational attractions in the United States.

Speaking of Niagara, one cannot help but recall the equally spectacular Iguazu Falls in Argentina.

Iguazu is much larger than Niagara Falls and is considered one of the most powerful waterfalls on the planet.

Another giant is Victoria Falls, also called the Thundering Smoke of Africa because of the unimaginable rumble emitted by thousands of liters of water falling every second into the white abyss of the water haze they raise

The unique feature of Victoria Falls is the world's widest continuous wall of water.

We also can not help but include in the list of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world according to LifeGlobe the highest Angel Falls on the planet, and a spectacular sight of Venezuela

Perhaps someone Angel may not seem such a picturesque waterfall compared to others on our list, but it is also worth considering that Angel's water flow needs to overcome almost a kilometer to reach the ground, which is almost 20 times higher than Niagara !

Unfortunately, I could not find out the name and location of the next waterfall, but due to its appearance, it has every reason to be on this list.

Brasstown Falls is a cascade of four waterfalls on Brasstown Creek about two miles before the creek meets the Chatooga River, which separates western edge Okonee Counties from the State of Georgia. In the picture - one of the middle waterfalls

Rovijoki Falls in the Norwegian town of Skibotn, famous primarily for its astrophysical observatory, which is the northernmost observatory in the world

Gullfoss waterfall is one of the main attractions of Iceland. The depth of the waterfall to the place where the water falls in the valley is about 70 meters. Gulfoss itself consists of two steps - 21 meters and 11 meters high, turned to each other at an angle of 90 °

This amazing Icelandic waterfall is also known as Gullfoss, Gullfoss, Gullfoss - all thanks to the many possible readings of the original name.

The same waterfall, only in winter

Another treasure of Iceland is the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, rather modest in height (about 60 meters), but no less picturesque and popular with tourists.

A very convenient place to view the waterfall in all its glory is a deep depression in the rock just behind the water stream.

And this picturesque waterfall is located in Chile)

Chile has another interesting waterfall- it's called Salto del Laja

Frozen Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Canada

Finally - another unknown, but no less beautiful and picturesque waterfall =)

Did you know that the height of the highest waterfall in the world is comparable to the height of 33 nine-story buildings? Interesting Facts read about the most beautiful waterfalls in the world below.

#10 Sutherland Falls, New Zealand

Sutherland Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Oceania. Its height is 580 meters. The waterfall is located in one of the most picturesque corners of New Zealand - on the territory of the Fiordland National Park, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The source of the waterfall Mountain Lake, which flows into the Arthur River and overthrows in a powerful stream from the top of the Southern Alps. From this angle, the lake is clearly visible.

No. 9. Dettifoss waterfall, Iceland

Iceland is known for its beautiful waterfalls, lakes, geysers and glaciers. One of the most famous and beautiful waterfalls in Iceland is the Dettifos waterfall, which is considered the most powerful waterfall in Europe.

The waterfall is located on the territory of the Jokulsaurglyuvur National Park, and is a continuation of the Jokulsaurgljuvur River.

Among the meager arid landscape, the waterfall looks like a real miracle. The width of Dettifoss is about 100 m, the height is 44 m (9 m less than Niagara Falls), the average water flow is 193 m³ / s, during floods - up to 600 m³ / s.

No. 7. Kaieteur waterfall, Guyana

Kaieteur Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Kaieteur is located on the Potaro River in Guyana.

The height of the falls is 226 meters, which is 5 times higher than Niagara Falls and 2 times higher than Victoria Falls. Moreover, it is the most powerful waterfall in the world.

No. 6. Yosemite Falls, California

Yosemite Falls is located in California in the national park of the same name. This waterfall is one of the tallest waterfalls in North America and the 20th highest in the world.

Yosemite is 739 meters high.

The height of the upper, reaching the first terrace of the Upper Yosemite Falls, is 435 meters, and the middle and lower falls are 206 and 98 meters high, respectively.

No. 5. Angel Falls, Venezuela

Angel - the highest waterfall in the world! Angel height - 979 meters, width - 107 m, flow rate - 300 m3 / s. The falls were named after aviator James Angel, who flew over the falls in 1933.

The waterfall is located in the Canaima National Park in the tropical forests of Venezuela. The waterfall falls from the top of Mount Auyantepui. The height of the fall of the water is so great that only fog reaches the ground.

No. 4. Sastavci Waterfall, Croatia

The Sastavci Waterfall is the largest and most beautiful waterfall in the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. Perfectly clear turquoise water falls from a height of 72 meters.

No. 3. Niagara Falls, USA/Canada

Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River, which carries the waters of 4 of the 5 Great Lakes of America. Niagara Falls is considered the most powerful in North America due to the volume of water passing through it.

Victoria refers to objects world heritage UNESCO.

No. 1. Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

Iguazu consists of 275 waterfalls, with a total width of more than 3 km, and a height of 82 m. The noise from the waterfall is heard 20-25 km away. Iguazu is located on the border of Brazil and Argentina, two rivers form a waterfall - Iguazu and Parana.

This is a unique spectacle. The Indians gave the name of the waterfall "iguazu" - "big water". Of the Europeans, it was first discovered by the Spanish conquistador don Alvaro Nunez Caseso in 1541.